Extinguisher for cigarettes



Dec. 25, 1956 ca. M. WEBBER EXTINGUISHER FOR CIGARETTES Filed Aug. 5, 1954 m/MA/TUF GEORGE: M. WEBBER ,4 T TUR 2,715,242 nxrmomsnnnron CIGARETTES George. M. Webber, Bonneville, Oreg., .assignor of onehalf toAlfred Parkhurst, Portland, Oreg.

This invention relates generally to extinguishers for cigarettes and particularly to an electrically operated means for maintaining a supply of water therein.

The main object of this invention is to provide a quenching receptacle with a water pump operated from the electrical system of an automobile and to require only a manually operable electric switch for operating the pump and at the same time making it impossibleto flood or overflow the device by thoughtless or playful operation thereof.

The second object is to so construct the quenching pan that there will be no tendency to become inoperative due to ashes accumulating therein.

I accomplish these and other objects in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the device with portions of the electric circuit being shown schematically and portions of some of the water hose being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the removable quenching pan.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a cylindrical casing of a solenoid unit 11, which is supported by a band clamp 12 from a support 13 by means of screws 14. A soft iron base and guide 15 is secured in the lower end of the cylinder 10'by means of the screws 16.

In the center of the base 15 is a boss 17, on top of which rests a rubber Washer 18 which acts as a bumper for the hollow solenoid core 19, which may be loaded with shot to increase its weight as desired.

Within the casing 10 is the solenoid magnet 20, which fits over the boss 17.

At the upper end of the casing 10 is a soft iron top cap 21 which acts as a guide for the slidable core 19. A rubber bumper washer 22 is placed in the top of the cap 21 against which the'core 19 strikes at the end of its upward travel. Extending downwardly from the base 15 are the pillars 23 which support the cap 24 of the glass water reservoir 25, which is clamped to the cap 24 by means of a threaded ring 26.

Depending through the cap 24 is the pump column 27, which is open to atmosphere at its upper end. Within the column 27 is a piston 28 which is connected by a piston rod 29 with the core 19'.

Surrounding the rod 29 is a spring 30 which is held in compression between cap 24 and a collar 31 secured on the rod 29.

Holes 32 are formed in the pump column 27 above the uppermost limit of travel of the piston 28 to communicate atmospheric pressure to the free surface of the water in reservoir 25. The lower end 33 of the column 27 is United States Patent 0 2,775,242 Hatented Dec. 25, 1956 enlarged .towform avalve chamber 34".. The-end 33 extends into and supportsthepump base 35xwhosefeet 36 rest against. the bottom of the. reservoir 25 and serve to insure that there will be a space 137 between the pump basev 35 and the bottom of the container 25.

Inthe: bottom of the base 35 is formed an inlet hole 38 whichileads to a check valve 39 within the chamber 34.

Also communicating with the valve chamber 34 is a horizontal passageway 40 having an upturned end 41 whichleads to a check valve 42 disposed within a chamber 43. located in the foot 44" and formed in the discharge column 45 which extends upwardly through the cap 24.

On'the upper end of the discharge column 45, above'the cap 24, there is connected a water supply-hose- 46 whose upper end 47 is connected to a nipple 48 projecting downwardly from the quenching unit 49 on the instrument panel 9 as shown in Fig. l.

The unit 49 has a duct 50 which extends upwardly through the nipple 48 and turns outwardly into an expansion chamber 51. In the unit 49 there is disposed a remov able quenching tray 52 having struck-in apertured portions 53 formed near the bottom 54 of the tray 52. These struck-in wall portions form baflles projecting beyond the inner surface of the tray 52 to prevent clogging with ashes, paper, etc. Any other baffle or guard means to prevent the jamming of cigarette ends into the apertures would be satisfactory. A supply of water is maintained in the reservoir 25.

It will be noted in Fig. 2 that there is provided an overflow line 55 through which any excess water will find its way through the outlet 56 into the line 55, from whence it returns to the reservoir 25.

In order to provide a source of electric power, a battery 57 is provided from which a lead 57A passes through the manually operated push button switch 58 and the lead 59 passes through the automatic thermal circuit interrupter 60 to a terminal 61 of the magnet 20. The interrupter 69 is one of the type which is heat actuated, a common form of which is well known under the trade name Blink-A-Lite. The magnet terminal 62 is connected by a ground wire 63 to the ground 64.

To place the device in operating condition, it is necessary to manually close the switch 58 which causes current from the battery 56 to flow through the interrupter 60 and solenoid unit 11, thereby initiating a. reciprocation of the pump piston 28. As long as switch 58 is held closed, the automatic interrupter 60 alternately closes and opens the solenoid circuit at a relatively low frequency. When the switch 60 closes the solenoid circuit, the piston is drawn downwardly in a pumping stroke and remains down until the solenoid circuit is opened. Then spring 30 raises the piston and holds it in its upper position until the circuit is again closed by switch 60. The pumping stroke is relatively fast and is completed before interrupter 60 opens the solenoid circuit. The upward stroke of the piston, after de-energization of the solenoid by switch 68, is accomplished before the slow acting interrupter again closes switch 60 for another pumping stroke. To insure a full pump stroke, sufiicient shot may be inserted in solenoid core 19 during assembly of the device so that the total Weight of core, shot, piston rod and piston will almost balance the lifting force of spring 30 at the upper end of the stroke. Solenoid 20 has a sufficient number of ampere turns, when energized by a conventional automobile battery, to pull the core and piston down to lowermost position against the spring force and liquid head developed by the pump in raising the water to the quenching unit. The upward travel of the piston 28 raises the the column 45 into the quenching unit 49; If the water 65 should reachthe outlet 56 it merely circulates back through the hose 55 to the reservoir 25. Thus it can be 'seenthat improper operation of the switch 58 cannot "cause a flooding or wasting of water.

The reservoir 25 may be the same reservoir used in conventional car window cleaners.

To quench a cigarette 66 it is necessary only to insert it lighted end down into the tray 52, as shown in Fig. 1.

.As stated, the tray 52 is removable for cleansing purposes.

I claim: A cigarette extinguisher for an automobile having an instrument panel and a battery comprising, a water reservoir having a cap, a solenoid operated pump unit mounted on said cap and projecting into the bottom of said reservoir, a pump discharge connection on said cap, a quench- ;ing tray mounted on said panel, a conduit between said pump discharge connection and said tray for supplying water to said tray when said pump is operating, an auto matic intermittent switch, a manual push button switch on said instrument panel unit, and a circuit for energizing said solenoid from said battery comprising said two switches connected in series with said solenoid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

